WEYAUWEGA - Could a move to a different division result in a championship for the Weyauwega-Fremont softball team?

That may be the case as the Indians, who finished as runner-up last year in Division 3, drop down to Division 4 this season. Weyauwega-Fremont (22-4) plays Thorp (16-7) in a state semifinal at approximately 9 p.m. Thursday at Goodman Diamond in Madison.

Stevens Point Pacelli (25-0) and Horicon (26-1) battle in the other semifinal. The championship game is Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

"It did surprise me," Indians coach Todd Breuer said of the move to Division 4. "But there's a lot of good Division 4 teams. I'm expecting Thorp to be a challenge to us and I know what Pacelli brings and Horicon also looks pretty good, too."

Another plus for the Indians? They won't have to face rival Laconia, which knocked the Indians out of the tournament the past three seasons.

That doesn't mean senior Kiley Akey wouldn't have relished getting another shot at the Spartans.

"We wish we could face them just to see how we would match up," Akey said. "But we dropped down a division and we can't ask for a better opportunity to bring back the gold this time. We've worked hard and that's the goal obviously.

"I think a lot of us wanted another shot at Laconia, but dropping down a division isn't a bad thing. Either way, there's tough teams and we have to play our best to win."

Thorp is making its second appearance at the state tournament in the last three seasons and the fifth time overall. Thorp won it all in 2016.

"I know they look fast and have a lot of fast runners," Breuer said. "I think the top of the order is very good and they have some very good hitters at the top of the order. My scouting report says their pitcher throws in the mid-50s and has a nice drop ball and locates pretty good.

"Top to bottom, their lineup likes to bunt and run the bases well and put pressure on the defense."

Weyauwega-Fremont counters with a two-headed attack in the circle of Akey and Cadyn Ehrenberg. Both have similar pitching numbers, with Akey 9-2 with a 1.45 ERA and Ehrenberg 11-2 and a 1.59 ERA.

Ehrenberg leads the team in hitting (.429) and home runs (five), with Akey leading the team in RBI (28) while also batting .419 with four home runs.

Breuer said his lineup is balanced and while Ehrenberg and Akey lead in some key categories, the other players, especially the seniors, have more than held their own.

"Some teams would walk our two best hitters and I can't tell you how many times that (Kati Kettleson) and (Alexa Greening) have come up with a big hit," Breuer said. "Alexa did it the other night against Manitowoc Lutheran, drove in the tying run in the top of the seventh.

"Even our underclassmen really have stepped up and improved from a year ago and throughout the year."

The Indians have five seniors on the roster: Akey, Ehrenberg, Greening, Kettleson and Tatum Williams. Akey said she's "super excited" to end her high school career in Madison with her teammates.

"The team worked hard for this and it's crazy to go back again," she said. "And I couldn't ask for a better senior season with all these girls. It's probably one of greatest things I've worked for."